30% Mode Share Shift

28

Mar

30% Mode Share Shift

The Tauton Daily Gazette posted an article with a quick update on the South Coast Bikeway. Started in 2011, the South Coast Bikeway Committee was formed with a goal of creating a bikeway from the Rhode Island border to Cape Cod.

For those in the East Bay, this would be huge boon. The current plans would connect this South Coast Bikeway to the relatively new Warren Bike Path, which ultimately, should be connected to the East Bay Bike Path.

I found this portion of the article of particular interest:

The bikeway committee met with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Secretary Richard Davey in support of his new policy to see a 30 percent mode share shift, said Mass In Motion Fall River’s coordinator Julie Kelly.

“That’s moving more toward using bicycles, pedestrians walking and using bus transportation, basically shifting away from the idea everyone has to have an automobile to transport themselves around,” Kelly said.

I had not seen a notation of Kelly’s policy of a 30% mode share shift previously, but if she can make this happen, it will be huge! I wonder what it would take to work with RIDOT to get a similar declaration?

8 thoughts on - 30% Mode Share Shift

Could you clarify, does that mean that they want 30% of rides to be either biking or some other non-car method? Or 30% for biking alone? The excerpt leaves me unsure which is meant.

Mark Dieterich

Mar 28, 2013 at 3:01 pm

My take on this was a goal of having 30% of all trips made by bicycle, walking, or public transit… anything other than the personal automobile.

Labann

Mar 29, 2013 at 3:24 pm

I used to think SE MA was unbikeable in general, but risk it anyway. Roads in the corridor from Boston to Fall River through Taunton are uniformly narrow and trafficky. With the new Brightman Street bypass bridge, they've actually accommodated cyclists and walkers, so going from Warren to Freetown isn't impossible by bike. Main Street north of Fall River is very hilly, however, but you could aim for President Ave or follow a southerly route through downtown Fall River towards the Cape. By Dartmouth roads flatten, so conceivably you could arrange for on-road bike lanes or wide shoulders directed by signs to Onset. Major impediment is crossing the Cape Cod Canal; neither bridge supports cycling. Otherwise you'd only need off-road provisions (bridges or short segments of bike lanes) to complete route.

Mark Dieterich

Mar 29, 2013 at 5:33 pm

I thought you could cross both bridges on the sidewalk, no?

Guest

Mar 30, 2013 at 9:27 am

There are sidewalks on both the Bourne and Sagamore. Both are narrow with out and walking is expected as a wobble might see you dead. So, yes, you can cross.

MattMoritz

Mar 30, 2013 at 3:14 pm

Crossing on the sidewalks is nice and all, but I'd much rather ride, those connections should somehow be improved to allow riding across. Perhaps the addition of a barrier on the roadway side is all it would take, without re-engineering or rebuilding the bridge decks.

Mark Dieterich

Mar 30, 2013 at 7:44 pm

It would be great if we could just get a barrier put up and have enough room to ride, but I fear those bridges are too narrow. It's been a while since I've been out that way, but if memory serves me, the lanes are really quite narrow. However, I thought the sidewalks were wide enough for riding. Take a look at:http://bikeovernights.org/assets/content/Sullivan…

Looks to be a bit narrower. Both of them have significant drops. I wonder if something couldn't be put up next to the sidewalk to make it safer. Even walking there, particularly if I had children with me, would be frightening!

MattMoritz

Apr 1, 2013 at 10:01 am

I meant putting up a barrier between the sidewalk and the roadway, not trying to create a bike lane inside the existing traffic lanes. As your links show, Bourne sidewalk is pretty wide.

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